How To Become A Cardiopulmonary Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a cardiopulmonary technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average cardiopulmonary technician salary is $37,004. The most common degree is a associate degree degree with an medical technician major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a cardiopulmonary technician. Cardiopulmonary technicians with a Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 14,700 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreCardiopulmonary TechnicianUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,004

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.1

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.91%

Asian 13.87%

Black or African American 10.58%

Hispanic or Latino 12.77%

Unknown 3.28%

White 58.58%

Gender

female 65.28%

male 34.72%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.9

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a cardiopulmonary technician

Explore cardiopulmonary technician education requirements

Most common cardiopulmonary technician degrees

Associate

48.0 %

Bachelor's

36.0 %

Master's

4.8 %

Start to develop specific cardiopulmonary technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	12.19%
Holter	11.38%
Pulmonary Function	10.75%
CPR	8.75%
Electrocardiogram	8.05%

Complete relevant cardiopulmonary technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New cardiopulmonary technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a cardiopulmonary technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real cardiopulmonary technician resumes.

Research cardiopulmonary technician duties and responsibilities

Assist with placement and manage intra-aortic balloon pumps.
Institute mechanical ventilation treatment and wean patients from mechanical ventilation per respiratory therapy protocols and doctor's orders.
Interview patients, perform limit physical examination and conduct diagnostic tests including blood gas analyses.
Perform procedures that involve several types of splints and splinting materials for optimal mobility and security of fracture bones.

Prepare your cardiopulmonary technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your cardiopulmonary technician resume.

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Choose from 10+ customizable cardiopulmonary technician resume templates

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